This invention relates to a wear-resistant or abrasive resistant alloy, and method of producing this alloy. The invention particularly relates to such an alloy suitable for use in highly abrasive environments.
Ground-engaging tools such as ripper tips, bucket teeth and cutting edges for various types of earth-working machines are all subject to accelerated wear during working of the machines due to continual contact of these parts with rock, sand and earth. It is therefore desirable that these tools be comprised of a highly wear-resistant material, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,493,191; 3,275,426 and 3,334,996 and further, that such material be relatively inexpensive to thereby minimize the cost when replacement inevitably becomes necessary; note, for instance, British Pat. No. 1,338,140.
Many wear-resistant alloys have been developed for use in such tools and for other uses demanding an alloy of high abrasive resistance. Many such alloys, however, are composed of materials which are not readily available, or are expensive, or both. One such example is tungsten carbide which has excellent wear-resistant properties, but which is relatively expensive. Additionally, particularly in the case of tool manufacture, it is frequently important that the wear-resistant alloy be substantially unimpaired by heat treatment. For example, a convenient method of joining a metal part composed of a wear-resistant alloy to a steel ground-engaging tool is by brazing; this process, however, usually weakens the steel of the tool, making it necessary to heat-treat the steel to strengthen it. Many alloys are adversely affected by such heat treatment, and either cannot be used under these circumstances, or the steel cannot be treated to harden. Frequently, also, known wear-resistant alloys are unsuitable for use with tools which are subjected to frequent shocks, since, typically, these wear-resistant hard alloys are brittle, and readily break under shock treatment.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a specially treated inexpensive wear-resistant alloy comprised of readily available elements.
It is another object of this invention to provide a method of producing a highly wear-resistant alloy.